A man claims a photo of his amputated leg has been used as a warning on a cigarette packet without his permission - despite the fact he lost his leg in a shooting.
The Albanian man, who now lives in France, said he lost his leg in 1997 after a shooting and that the amputation had nothing to do with smoking.
He claims his photo has been splashed across ciggie packets in France with a warning that 'smoking clogs your arteries'.
The 60-year-old man, who wants to remain anonymous, told French media the photo was taken when he visited in a hospital to see if he was suitable for a walking aid.
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According to local media he first spotted the photo on a packet of tobacco his son brought with him from Luxembourg.
The man's daughter told Le Republican Lorrain, said: "He [the man's son] was coming back from Luxembourg. Without saying a word, he put a big box of rolling tobacco on the table.
"We were stunned. We did not believe it."
The family are adamant that the photo is of the man, with the daughter adding: "It's our father's. His scars are characteristic."
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The family have even got themselves a lawyer, Antoine Fittante, who told the paper: "Each scar is specific, unique. This man also has burn marks on the other leg - it's very clear. An expert will have no trouble identifying this image."
Fittante added that the man has since 'lost his confidence in the medical profession'.
"He experienced it as a betrayal. It's hurtful," he added.
He says the family contacted the European Commission who have reportedly told them they couldn't trace where the image came from because 'the person whose name you gave us does not appear in the library of these images for health warnings'.
Fittante says this makes the family question whether someone else could have signed a consent form.
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However, Le Parisien reports that the photo had been used on tobacco packaging in 2017, which is before the man claims his amputated leg was photographed by the hospital.
European Commission spokesperson told Le Parisien newspaper: "We have the identity, the agreement and the rights for all the people photographed for this campaign.
"From the information we have, we can say without a doubt that this individual is not one of them."
Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: World News